Communication from a boat traditionally was accomplished via a ship-borne marine VHF radio operating in the frequency range between 156 and 162 MHz. With the advent and widespread use of cellular telephones, smart phones, or other devices which communicate on the cellular telephone network, much of the communication between a boat and the shore may now be accomplished via cellular telephone. While this technology is not appropriate for large, ocean-going vessels which may frequently be outside the range of a cellular telephone, for many recreational boat users, cellular telephone communication may be the preferred method.
A significant disadvantage of cellular telephone communication while on board a boat is noise. While use of a cellular telephone in the relative quiet of a building or enclosed road-going vehicle may be satisfactory, noise levels on an unenclosed, moving boat or in other noisy environments may far exceed the noise levels of a building or enclosed vehicle and overwhelm the capabilities of a cellular telephone. Noise associated with the boat's engine, the rush of wind and the splash of water may make communication difficult as the person on the boat or in other noisy environments may be unable to hear the person to whom they are speaking, while their own communication may be drowned out on the receiving end. More specifically, because cellular telephones generally operate in a duplex mode, meaning that audio signals are able to be transmitted both ways simultaneously, noise from the boat is continuously broadcast, cluttering up the communication signal and impeding conversation. Similarly, the noisy environment of the moving boat may make it difficult to even hear the ring of a cellular telephone.
A further disadvantage of cellular telephone use while on board a boat is the environmental hazards to which the telephone may be subjected. In particular, cellular telephones are generally not designed with marine applications in mind. Therefore, they may not be particularly well suited to withstand the increased humidity associated with boating, to say nothing of the corrosive salt air experienced in near-shore, oceanic boating or weather damage caused by ultraviolet rays resulting from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Furthermore, because many recreational boats are not enclosed, a cellular telephone used on a boat may experience rain to a degree not normally expected. Furthermore, cellular telephones used on a boat may be exposed to water from spray associated with the moving boat, or operators with wet hands from swimming or fishing, or the cellular phone may even be dropped overboard. In short, because the cellular telephone may not be able to ring loudly enough, or broadcast a conversation loudly enough to be heard, an operator typically must place the cellular telephone in a location that is easily accessible to maximize his or her ability to hear it. Unfortunately, this placement may also coincide with a location that puts the cellular telephone at greatest risk from the dangers discussed above.
In addition, other environments are known to experience the same or similar disadvantages to cellular telephone use such as noise, weather, and the potential for accidents. These environments can include various farm equipment (i.e. tractors, harvestors, etc.), construction equipment (i.e. cranes, dump trucks, front loaders, etc.), off-road vehicles (i.e. jeeps, four-wheelers, etc.), automobiles, private aircraft, and various buildings (i.e. factories, manufacturing plants, power plants, etc.).
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a communication system that has the advantages of cellular telephone communication, while eliminating the disadvantages associated with using a cellular telephone on board a boat or in other noisy or harsh environments.